


Figure in the fog

by HappyKonny



Series: Oneshot pile [2]
Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Youtube RPF, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Human Jack, ghost mark, happy end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 22:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10863273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyKonny/pseuds/HappyKonny
Summary: Prompt: "In the dense fog, there is a mysterious light"The swamp next to the town is always surrounded by a dense fog when it is dark. Legend says if you look into it for too long, you will see a mysterious light. Do not follow it, for it will lead you deep into the swamps, to lead you into death.





	Figure in the fog

Jack had lived in this town for almost all his life. He had moved here with his mother when he was but a child, too young to remember anything about the place he had lived at before. Now he was a young adult, still living with his mother and supporting her, while following his job as a blacksmith in town.  
His evenings were often spend in the local bar, drinking beers with acquaintances. He wouldn't say he had anyone he considered a friend. Jack didn't mind though, he liked his solitude.

This was another one of those evenings, where after a long and hard day of work he went to the bar. He sat on one of the stools, beer in front of him, drinking alone tonight. There were strangers in town again, crowded around one of the round tables in the corner. It was quiet enough to hear their conversation though, or maybe Jack just unconsciously concentrated on them talking, instead of letting all the noise hit his ears.  
They were talking about the legend surrounding this town. There was a big swamp area not far away from the houses, and almost always there was a thick fog surrounding it. There was no one who knew a save path to go anywhere near deep inside, only a little area was known by a few people where it was safe to walk.  
But that wasn't what the legend was about. According to the legend, at some evenings, there was a light in the fog. People said it was a lantern, judging from its glow and how it swayed when it moved. Some believed it was something supernatural though. But everyone knew, that when you followed the light, you never returned from the swamp.

Jack himself had seen the light once. He had been at home, living at the edge of the town, and had been unable to sleep. So instead, he had decided to look outside of the window, and into the fog. It had always calmed him as a child, and he liked trying to see the few plants that grew in the swamp. And while he had looked outside, he had spotted it. A warm orange and yellow light, a flame inside of a lantern. He had watched it move around, it looked almost like it walked along the edge of the swamp, but the fog had been too dense to see.  
Jack had fallen asleep at the window, and the next morning only grumbled and groaned. It wasn't anything interesting for someone who lived here to see that light, everyone knew it existed and everyone knew it only meant bad news when you followed it.

Sighing, Jack finished his beer and ordered another. Knowing how every stranger that came here acted, they would try to see the light and follow it. He didn't very much care for that, if they wanted to die, then so be it. Maybe they'd be lucky and get out, when they traveled in a group. Or maybe it'd be more dangerous. No one knew why that light was there and why or where it was leading anyone willing to follow it.  
Jack finished his second beer and got up. He didn't even feel tipsy yet, he had a high tolerance, but he didn't feel like sticking around anymore. So he left the bar and made his way home. He let his mind wander, thinking about work, about the strangers. He wondered how fast they would leave after one of them got lost in the swamp. He wondered when they would try to follow it.  
Arriving home, Jack went straight to bed. His mother was asleep already, so he stayed as quiet as he could. He didn't want to wake her, especially since she had work as well the next day, even if it wasn't as hard of work like being a blacksmith.

The next few days came and went. The strangers had stayed for a while, until one night they had spotted the light apparently and three of them had followed it. One of them came back, frantic, to get help for the others. Two more followed, but in the end, only two returned at all.  
They told their tale, one of the two survivors having been of the original three. They had followed the light, catching glimpses of something more, something or someone carrying the light. Until one of them got stuck. They tried getting him out, and due to how long they took, the light had wandered off again.  
It was nothing really new or interesting, they weren't the first to survive coming back from the swamp. They hadn't even gotten that far in, though it had been further than the safe area. The deaths of their friends was enough to have the group leave again.

More days passed, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Jack tended to spend more nights at the window though, watching the fog and thinking. Sometimes he just wondered, why that light was there, who or what it was, and where it was trying to lead people.  
On a night that seemed like any other, where Jack was sitting at the window once more, he spotted the light again. His mind was buzzing with questions about it, so he soon found himself going outside. He didn't plan to go into the swamp, though he did approach the light. Before entering the swamp area, he stopped walking and looked towards the light.  
Now closer to it, he could swear there was a person, holding a staff with the lantern attached to it. If it was a person who lead people into the swamp to kill them, or have them lost and die, then they needed to stop that. And even though Jack felt unsure, even though something just seemed _wrong_ about this, he went further towards the light, careful where he walked.

"Hey! Ye can't lead folks into tha swamp!", he called out to the person. The light swayed slightly as the figure turned their head towards Jack, and he swore he could make out brown eyes looking at him. But the person -a guy Jack assumed- turned his head back and started to walk. He walked slowly and carefully, like he knew a safe path and wanted to make sure someone following could actually follow.  
Jack swallowed, he was shaking slightly. Should he follow him? Maybe he could bring that guy to stop, without having to walk too deep into the swamp. Taking a deep breath, Jack quickly followed the man, careful to walk exactly where he had walked.

The pace of the figure didn't change, he walked steadily and slowly, his steps carefully placed. Jack followed behind him, a few feet distance between them. It wasn't easy walking exactly where the other man was going, but he hadn't once gotten stuck. He knew he was far away from the town by now, having walked for a handful of minutes already. He thought about going back, but by now he was scared he wouldn't find his way back safely.  
Suddenly, he couldn't lift his foot. Panic immediately flooded him, as he tried pulling it out. But all it did was make it sink further, and slowly it became harder to balance himself. Jack was struggling, carefully trying to free himself still, when he finally did loose his balance.  
He cried out, in shock, surprise, terror. He would die if he fell into the swamp, he would get sucked in and die underneath the mud. His arms flailed around, trying to grasp something, _anything_ , even though he knew that there wouldn't be anything.

But his hand grabbed something. It was sturdy and cold, a staff. Jack clung to it with all his might, barely hanging above the mud. His eyes were wide, and he could see the person carrying it standing just a few steps ahead of him. He wasn't facing Jack, just holding out the staff to him. And when he seemed to notice the weight hanging onto his staff, he roughly pulled. It helped Jack getting back upright, and while he was still holding tightly onto the staff, he was able to pull his foot out of the mud. Finally.  
"Thank ye", Jack breathed a sigh of relief, his heart still beating out of his chest with panic. He let go of the staff, that had saved his life, and looked towards the guy holding onto the lantern.  
He was a little taller than Jack, wearing purely dark clothes. Sturdy boots, warm pants, and a coat. He had a hood as well, pulled over his head, hiding his identity.

The man didn't speak, and instead started to walk again. Further into the swamp, where he had been leading Jack apparently. He almost missed following him, but quickly began to walk after the man again. His life had been saved from dying in the swamp, never before had anyone told a story like that. If Jack made it back alive, he was sure to never step a foot back into the swamp and never talk about his experience.  
"Wait! Where are ye takin' me? What are ye doin'?", Jack called after the guy, but he still stayed silent. He didn't even seem to acknowledge that Jack was there at all. It just made him wonder more. He still followed him though, he wanted to know the truth now.

They continued to walk in silence for a long time. They were much closer together, which made it much easier for Jack to follow the other man. Talking to him didn't seem to work, at all, so Jack didn't try anymore. He just followed in silence.  
Finally, Jack could see something not too far away. Squinting his eyes, for once not paying attention to the man he was following, it looked like... a rod. Or maybe a lantern? Taking his gaze away again to see where he needed to go next, he noticed that the light was gone. The man was gone too. Looking around frantically, Jack couldn't spot him _anywhere_.  
He took deep steadying breaths, remembering he had a lighter with him. He pulled it out, letting the small flame come to life, and looking around. The only thing he could spot was the lantern or whatever it was, so he decided to slowly and carefully make his way towards it.

Once he was almost in front of it, he saw the man again. He was facing Jack, and even with the little light he had, he was able to make out some features of the mysterious figure.  
Dark brown eyes, which seemed strangely cold, and sad. Dark brown or black hair, hanging slightly into his face. A dark stubble adorning his jaw. Jack took in all those features, standing in place.  
"Who are ye?", he asked, after moments of silence. The other man didn't answer though, his eyes leaving Jack though, looking slightly to the side.  
"Why have ye taken me 'ere?", Jack asked then, hoping that maybe that would get an answer. The other man looked incredibly sad at that, motioning to the swamp. Motioning towards where he was standing.  
Jack didn't understand. He watched the other man look to the ground, avoiding to look at Jack. And he tried to understand, tried to figure out what was going on. He got an idea, suddenly.  
"Yer dead", he said in realization. "Ye died 'ere. In tha swamp". Jack saw the other man nod slightly, looking back up to Jack.  
"Ye wanted someone ta know...", Jack mumbled, and the other smiled sadly at Jack. It made him hurt, thinking about all the people that had died trying to find out what the mysterious light was. And all it was, was someone else who had died here, trying to find closure. The only difference being, that this person seemed to have no one who had ever searched for them, no one who remembered.

Jack looked to the lantern he was almost next to, carefully making his way to it. He reached up and was able to light it, the soft glow illuminating the two men. Once that was done, Jack smiled at the other.  
"I'll remember ye. I don' know yer name, or who ye were. But I know ye were 'ere, an' ye died 'ere. I won't forget ye", he told him, and he could see how it effected the other. The ghost, that was what he had to be, seemed surprised and shocked, before he smiled in relief. He walked towards Jack, and before the human knew what was happening, the ghost had wrapped his arms around Jack.  
 _"Thank you"_ , Jack heard, the voice barely above a whisper. He didn't dare move, afraid the man would disappear. _"Follow the lights"_.  
The arms around Jack disappeared, and Jack could see the ghost fading away. He looked happy, smiling. It caused Jack to smile as well, and he couldn't help but feel sad upon seeing the other disappear.  
"I'm Jack, by the way", he said, before he didn't have the chance to anymore. The ghost nodded with a smile, and before he faded away, Jack saw his lips move, forming one word, before he was gone.

Jack stood there for a few more minutes, letting the situation sink fully in, before he looked around. He could see another light, just like the lantern he was under, so he slowly and carefully made his way over to it. Arriving there, he could see another light. Jack followed them, walking from one lantern to the next, always careful of where he put his feet. Only once he stepped outside of the swamp, did he turn around to look inside the fog.  
There were no more lights to see, and there were no more secrets to discover. Jack had discovered what the swamp had been hiding, and what the reason was for the mysterious light to appear and lead anyone willing to follow.  
"I'll remember ye, Mark", Jack told the swamp, the fog, with a smile, before he finally returned home.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea the other day when it was really foggy  
> I love fog! And I wanted to make this, though I'm not the happiest with some parts


End file.
